[Enemies-to-lovers | Conquering, possessive general gong x gloomy, unhinged prince shou]
When Liu Jiu was a child, he did something disgraceful: he once treated Mu Shen like a horse and rode him.
Back then, Liu Jiu was the ninth prince, treasured above all others. His mother, Consort Hulan, was in the emperor's favor. Mu Shen, on the other hand, was merely an adopted son of the Mu family.
But the world is unpredictable. Years later, Hulan rebelled and seized three border cities. The emperor flew into a rage, killed his former beloved consort with his own hands, then threw Liu Jiu, the traitor who had Hulan blood in his veins, into prison.
As fate would have it, the man sent to crush Hulan and reclaim the cities was Mu Shen.
When Mu Shen returned to court, he asked for neither a reward nor recognition. He wanted only one person: Liu Jiu.
Kneeling before the throne, he told the emperor, "This general has long been enamored of the ninth prince. I have but one wish in life: to marry him."
But as soon as he turned away, his expression grew menacing. "Once the ninth prince enters my household, this general will teach him how to behave."
The emperor knew Mu Shen had his reasons and gladly agreed. Everyone waited for the spectacle, eager to see how Mu Shen would repay the old humiliation of being ridden like a horse.
Of course, Mu Shen had no intention of letting Liu Jiu off. On their wedding night, he stripped off Liu Jiu's prisoner's clothes and pinned him beneath him. "Do you remember what you did to me seven years ago, Ninth Highness?"
Even Liu Jiu himself thought there was no way he'd survive this.
He thought Mu Shen hated him to the bone and couldn't wait to tear him limb from limb.
Until, on their wedding night, Mu Shen pinned him beneath him and whispered in his ear, "No one in this world is allowed to bully or humiliate you. No one but me."
After that, everyone knew there was a secret chamber in the general's residence, where the former ninth prince, now the general's husband, was kept locked away.
That chamber was a strange place, and eerie wails often came from within.
People said the general and his husband did not get along. But whenever there was a festival or a banquet at the palace, the general always brought his husband along. Standing side by side, they looked rather well matched.
Later, as the princes fought over the throne, the empire teetered on the brink of collapse.
Mu Shen let Liu Jiu out of the secret chamber and asked, "You're a prince too. Do you want to fight for the throne?"
Liu Jiu laughed and toyed with the man before him, tapping him with a finger. "If I say yes, will you help me, General?"
A wise ruler deserves a worthy minister; a tyrant deserves a mad one.
Before long, a rumor spread through the streets and alleys: the imprisoned ninth prince had bewitched his husband, turning the mighty general into a blade wielded at his command. They would kill his brothers, fight for the throne, seize power... and do every wicked thing imaginable.
The old ministers in court were heartbroken. "General, were you forced into this?"
"Forced?" Mu Shen scoffed. "My husband is unruly and wants to play with the throne. I simply went and got it for him."
[Reader's Guide: Please read the content warnings]
1. One-on-one, happy ending. Mu Shen is the gong, Liu Jiu the shou. They are each other's only partners, emotionally and physically.
2. Warnings for physical and emotional abuse, and confinement. The shou is sickly, fragile, and heartbreakingly beautiful. If that's not your thing, please quietly move along. Readers with strong character preferences, proceed with caution! Seriously, proceed with caution!
3. Possessive conquest + coercive sex. At its core, this is a melodramatic tale of love and hate.
4. Hulan in this story is not based on any real-world group. History enthusiasts, please go easy on me.
Theme: A healthy relationship is important, of course...
